


The Role of a Lifetime

by Millefiori (Bellefiori)



Category: Forbidden Desires by Piper Scott & Virginia Kelly
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25083877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellefiori/pseuds/Millefiori
Summary: When Misha altered the master list in Harrison Lessardi-Drake's Mating Experiment, he slotted Reynard's omega Dieter into Misha's own original pairing. Now Dieter has to deal with it. The story takes place concurrent with the events ofMagpie.
Relationships: Everard Drake/Harry Lessardi-Drake, Li Jie/Dieter Larsson
Comments: 16
Kudos: 32





	The Role of a Lifetime

# The Role of a Lifetime

## By Millefiori

Dieter looked around the luxurious room. There was no doubt he was in Gold Clan territory. Gilt picture frames, chair legs, gold beaded curtains and mustardy-gold velvet sofas abounded, as well as all the miscellaneous gold accoutrement one could pack in without crossing the line from tastefully lavish into gaudy. Lush green plants and vivid jewel toned pillows, rugs and art kept it from pure gold monotony. It really was tasteful, he had to admit, if a little more _more_ than the quiet greys and ivories and classic blue-and-white he was used to at the Pedigree.

Dieter remained mindful of his posture and facial expression and tried to ignore his nerves. Madame Marlene had told him about the Council’s experiment, triumphant that her favorite student had been chosen from her cloister. She had often lamented privately to Dieter over the years what a shame it was for such beauty, accomplishment and skill to be wasted on a disgrace, which, to be fair, was what they all thought. Although, Madame sometimes whispered the name “Peregrine Drake” and “One never knows with dragons, especially those peculiar Amethysts….” 

But, perhaps conditioned by Madame, Dieter had somehow been sure he would be contracted to an Amethyst. Or maybe an Emerald. Gold dragons never sought out omegas from the Sapphire Pedigree and as a result Dieter’s knowledge of their culture, customs, language even, was distressingly limited. He took a deep breath. Everyone they’d met so far spoke English, in which he was fluent. He must be calm, pleasant—the door opened.

“Ah, Dr. Wen,” Everard Drake said to the tall, slender, immaculately tailored man entering the room.

“Dr. Drake,” Dr. Wen replied in slightly accented English, nodding solemnly. “Dr. Lessardi-Drake, Mr. Larsson. Welcome.”

“Hello,” said Harry, and Dieter nodded, afraid to speak for fear of the tremor in his voice. “Where is Li Jie?” Harry asked, looking around as if he might have somehow missed the entry of another person.

“Ah,” the doctor hesitated. “Jie should be here at any moment.” He hesitated, then leaned closer, lowering his voice confidentially. “I feel I must warn you that Liu Wei chose one of the more…eccentric…dragons of our clan to participate in your experiment.”

“Oh, that shouldn’t matter,” Harry burbled. “I believe that the chance of a mate bond is very high, in which case personal eccentricity could be considered by a mate to be endearing rather than problematic. However,” he frowned, “I’m still not sure what I was thinking when I decided to pair Gold and Sapphire—"

“Never mind that, lambchop,” Everard said, ruthlessly cutting Harry off before he could get going on that topic again. At that moment the door swung open and all turned to look. 

Only years of training kept Dieter from gaping like an idiot. The man who strode in wore low slung, skin tight jeans tucked into boots with gold stiletto heels. Long, shiny black hair hung over his bare shoulders and he was adorned with gold necklaces, earrings, cuff bracelets and, oh my, rings in his pierced nipples! 

“Good afternoon, Jie,” Dr. Wen said.

Rather rudely ignoring the others, Li Jie came to stand right in front of Dieter. He had dark, smudgily lined eyes and plush, soft-looking lips, shining with a peachy gloss, and he was close enough that Dieter could smell his faint but tantalizing scent. Speechless, Dieter looked up at the dragon before him, absently thinking that he was about an inch or two taller than Dieter, and thus would be shorter without the heels. 

“Is this my omega?” He purred, never taking his eyes from Dieter’s.

“Yes, won ton,” Everard said. “This is your contracted omega, Dieter Larsson from the Sapphire Pedigree.”

“Let’s go,” Li Jie said, taking Dieter by the hand and, ignoring the questions and protests of the other men, as well as Darwin’s anxious chirp, pulled Dieter along behind him out of the room.

*

Everard felt sure he had seen the young man before, likely at one of Chang Xing’s infamous parties, and the less said about those the better. “Well,” Everard said, raising an inquiring eyebrow at Dr. Wen. “Eccentric is one word.” 

“I did warn you,” Wen said, looking over his shoulder as the door swung open again. 

“Everard, dear boy! How lovely to see you!” Chang Xing smiled in welcome, his liquid dark eyes bright, looking polished and respectable in a bespoke suit. All that respectability the very picture, in fact, of false advertising.

“And speaking of eccentric,” Everard muttered to himself. “Hello, Xing,” he said aloud, hoping the man wouldn’t try to embrace him. Or Harry. “May I introduce my mate Harrison and our whelp Darwin.” He contained a pained sigh at Harry’s opening mouth and added, “and our other son Steve.”

“Call me Uncle Xing,” he said, shaking Harry’s hand. “Everyone does.”

“Hello, Uncle Xing,” Harry said, eyes wide and guileless. “You can call me Harry.” Everyone does, indeed. Everard stepped protectively closer to Harry.

“Yes,” Xing went on, turning his laughing eyes back to Everard. “I have heard the tale of your beta turned omega, as well as your slippery evasion of council oversight with regard to your charming little whelp.” Darwin cheeped happily at the compliment.

“Well, you would know all about slippery evasion of council oversight,” Everard snapped, stung. Keeping Darwin a secret for a few short weeks was nothing, _nothing_ compared to the things Xing had gotten away with over the centuries! 

Xing only laughed, “Indeed, and I would have evaded even more had I the formidably competent Geoffrey Drake to advise me. Your brother grows more and more impressive by the decade.”

Everard tried to imagine prudish Geoff at one of crazy Uncle Xing’s notoriously wild parties, and…that could actually be quite entertaining….

“Xing,” Wen gave a cautious smile. “I was just about to suggest to Dr. Drake and Dr. Lessardi-Drake that they give our pair some time to initiate the contract. Perhaps four or five days?” He looked back to Everard and Harry, expression hopeful.

“From the look of things, I would expect they’ll have it done in four or five minutes,” Everard said sourly.

Xing and Wen glanced significantly at one another again, arousing Everard’s suspicions. What was going on here?

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Harry said, before Everard could ask anything. Or protest the need to traipse back and forth from Aurora to Shanghai again in less than a week.

“Perfect,” Xing said. “In fact, if you come back this coming Saturday, I would love for you both to attend a little party.” He smiled, deceptively sweet. “A welcome-to-the-family for Dieter. And, Harry, our dear Dr. Wen has been longing to talk with you about your hypothesis and how the experiment is going so far.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Harry enthused, once again speaking before Everard could.

Wen drew Harry aside with a question and Everard took the opportunity to lean close to Xing. “I have a family now and I am not bringing them to one of your orgies!” He hissed.

“What nonsense,” Xing scoffed. “Orgies! My guests’ sex lives are an entirely private matter.” 

Everard bit back his snide response. Chang Xing, despite his well-deserved reputation as the kinkiest lecher in dragondom, was nevertheless respected and connected, and often amenable to helping when one needed an end run around Liu Wei. Geoffrey would kill Everard if he did anything to damage the relationship. If Grimbold didn’t kill him first.

“Well…outside of the demonstrations, that is.” Xing added thoughtfully.

Everard took a deep breath, trying to keep his scales and claws from bursting out. Xing patted his arm and gave him another of those ridiculous sweet smiles. “Never fear, dear boy. We’ll have a very nice child-friendly playroom all set up so your whelp and your son won’t be exposed to any unwholesome goings on.”

“None of us need to be exposed to unwholesome goings on!”

“My, how things have changed now that you have a mate. I think you just want to keep the unwholesome goings on between yourself and your delightful little Harry,” Xing said, winking.

Harry turned back at the sound of his name. “I’m really looking forward to your party, Uncle Xing,” he said, eyes bright and smile happy, his expression almost a mirror of Xing’s own, in fact. Behind him Wen looked very, very bland.

Everard sighed in surrender. Geoff was going to owe him big time. “Yes, we are both very much looking forward to it,” he lied pleasantly.

“Wonderful!” Xing laughed.

*

As they went down a long hall, Jie’s stride slowed, and Dieter stole a look at his profile. He seemed pensive. Jie looked at him then, and when he caught Dieter staring, quickly looked away.

Dieter called on his training. Small talk, then. “This house is lovely,” he said. “Have you lived here long?”

“I grew up here,” Jie said softly. “I have an estate of my own, where most of my hoard is stored, but I have my own apartments here with Uncle Xing.”

“Uncle Xing?” Dieter asked with an encouraging smile.

“My grandfather was…not kind, and my father was very much like him. My father was killed in a duel when I was very young and Uncle Xing took me in, protected me.”

Dieter’s heart squeezed in sympathy. He turned his hand in Jie’s so he could lace their fingers together. Should he ask for details? Leave it alone? He knew how to go on for a seduction, but he didn’t think that was what Jie needed at this moment.

Jie turned to him again. “Are you hungry?”

Ah, change of subject. Right. Dieter started to turn the question back on Jie, to find out what Jie wanted, when his stomach betrayed him with an audible rumble. “I am,” he admitted.

“Just around this corner. I have some refreshments laid out.” He’d made no move to withdraw his hand, so Dieter kept his arm relaxed, looking around at the art studding the hallway until they came to a set of wide double doors. “These are my rooms,” Jie said.

Dieter gave him another encouraging smile, then followed him into the suite.

As they ate, Dieter kept up a mostly one-way conversation, light inconsequential chatter interposed with questions to encourage Jie to talk in turn. However, no matter the topic, after two or three questions Jie would withdraw and grow distant.

Eventually, the glasses were drained and the plates littered only with crumbs, lingering at the table had become awkward, and Dieter was beginning to panic. He was failing already and he hadn’t even gotten his dragon to bed. Perhaps trying to ease in had been the wrong way to go and he should have been seducing Jie after all. It was time for a change of tack.

Dieter leaned forward, laying his fingers lightly on one of Jie’s gold cuffs. “I like your jewelry,” he said. Jie looked into Dieter’s eyes, his faraway expression becoming intent. Yes! Dieter leaned closer, reaching out to touch an earring, then dragged his fingers through Jie’s silky hair. Jie was still, watching Dieter, his soft lips parting. Dieter let Jie’s hair fall, then took hold of his nipple ring, gently worrying it and smiling as the nipple hardened to a tight pebble. “Beautiful,” he breathed.

Jie leaned in—kissing? yes, please!—and Dieter couldn’t wait to feel those lush lips, taste that sweet mouth.

Jie blinked, then leaned back. “Would you like to see my hoard? Not my main hoard, just the part I keep here?” 

Now it was Dieter’s turn to blink. “I would love to see your hoard,” he said, drawing his fingers down Jie’s arm and taking his hand. Jie’s delicious lips curved in an unexpectedly sweet smile.

As Dieter followed Jie farther into the apartments Jie pointed out a bedroom, a bathroom, and a study, and what the hell? How had his seduction turned into a home tour? On the other side of the hall was a large steel door with a complicated locking mechanism. Dieter guessed from the positioning that it was an inner room and wouldn’t have any windows, which made sense if it housed a dragon’s hoard. Partial hoard. Whatever. 

Dieter was so confused. Jie had burst into the room like a rock star, confident and aggressive, dragging Dieter away like a caveman. He’d been acting so very alpha and then…what? He’d stopped being confident and started acting aloof and withdrawn, acting like he… Wait, was it all acting…? Could Jie be acting a part, trying on and discarding personas to deal with the invasion of an unknown and perhaps unwanted omega? 

Dieter felt as if he were having an epiphany. The real Jie might be nervous, unsure, scarred even, based on the tiny bits he’d told Dieter of his childhood. The Gold clan had notoriously hostile relations with both the Amethyst and Sapphire clans. How overwhelming was it to have an Amethyst dragon descend on his home? An Amethyst bearing an unknown Sapphire omega disgrace with whom he was expected to have sex—immediately, no less—and possibly bond to and impregnate. Was conjuring a tough, fearless, sexy dragon to handle the meeting so crazy? Not as far as Dieter was concerned. He himself was falling back on his Pedigree rules and training rather than an invented role.

Jie entered a code, then pressed his thumb to a scanner and there was a loud click. He squeezed Dieter’s hand, then pushed the door open, pulling Dieter forward so he could enter first. The room was huge, the walls lined with deep, floor-to-ceiling cabinets. In the center was a wide, cushy settee, with a large crystal chandelier hanging over it. Side tables were stacked with books and lamps. The far end looked like a dressing room with shoe racks and mannequins dressed in various opulent outfits. Shelves of jewelry and accessories were topped with hat and wig stands and a mirrored dressing table with gold handles had jewel-studded gold containers with various brushes, lipsticks and other makeup and skin care items.

The cosmetics seemed well used rather than for show, and there was a spot on one of the shoe racks that would perfectly fit the boots Jie was currently wearing. A working hoard, then. And another window into the mystery of Li Jie.

“Your hoard…these dresses are lovely!”

“Some are vintage, but some I made myself.”

“That’s amazing,” Dieter said, studying the intricate jeweled detail on a long, silver dress.

“I ah, work as a costume designer,” Jie said. “In the film industry.”

“That sounds fascinating!” It was what the Pedigree had taught him to say, but it was also the truth, Dieter thought.

Jie cleared his throat and Dieter turned to give him his full attention.

“I was nervous when I found out my pairing was to be with a Diamond,” Jie said softly. “So much drama and intensity; always storming around, making demands. They are stressful.” He shrugged. “That’s why I…when we met…I felt I had to take a stand if I didn’t want to be browbeaten by my own omega.” 

“So, I take it you’re not terribly displeased that you’ve gotten a boring old Sapphire instead?” Dieter teased. 

“You’re not boring. You’re calm. Easy to be with.” 

Dieter smiled, pleased. “I don’t know what happened and Harry couldn’t explain, either. I thought I was supposed to go to an Amethyst. You know, they have a reputation for being…”

“Lunatics?”

Dieter laughed. “I was thinking I’d go with ‘unconventional.’” 

Jie smiled, hesitated, then added. “I’m not much for sex with strangers, either. I thought it might help get us through the initial obligation.”

Dieter squeezed Jie’s fingers in sympathy. He could certainly relate. Despite long years of training, part of him had cringed at the idea of being dropped into the lair of a strange dragon, contractually obligated to have sex immediately. He’d consoled himself that at least he wasn’t the one in a position of having to perform, so to speak. Harry was so excited about his hypothesis that he seemed to have forgotten that his experimental subjects might have wishes and desires of their own, unrelated to mating and reproduction.

He smiled at the blasphemous thought. How dare a Pedigree omega—and a disgrace at that—have any wish or desire other than mating and reproduction? 

He gently disengaged his hand from Jie’s and drifted to a mannequin wearing a blue silk flapper style dress, the square bodice covered with intricate gold embroidery. Around the bottom, the dropped waist flared into a skirt overlaid with a fringe of thin gold chains. He grazed his fingertips along the side of the mannequin, imagining a warm body underneath. Dieter looked over his shoulder; Jie was watching him, expression unreadable. 

“Do you ever wear these?” Dieter continued to gently stroke the side of the dress. Jie’s arms were crossed protectively across his chest, but he nodded. “What shoes?” Dieter asked.

“With that dress? Usually these.” Jie pointed at a pair of strappy gold sandals with stiletto heels, his fingers shaking ever so slightly.

Careful, Dieter warned himself. He stepped over to the shoe rack and brushed his fingertips over the ankle strap of one of the sandals. “I bet your legs look amazing in these,” he said. He was impressed with how husky and sexy his voice sounded, considering he wasn’t even trying.

Jie gave him a flash of that sweet smile. “Maybe,” he allowed. “I sometimes wear this with it,” he added hesitantly, gesturing to a wig featuring thick, glossy black hair cut in an angled bob. 

Dieter grinned, picturing it. “Jewelry?” he asked.

“Sapphires,” Jie said, looking shy. He pulled out a velvet jewelry case and opened it to show Dieter a gorgeous parure of sapphires and diamonds set in gold. Sapphires. So many things Dieter could say. He bit his lip. Later. There would be plenty of time for that later, if he was successful in seducing Jie and creating a bond with him.

He looked at Jie and Jie looked back, still wary. What the hell, Dieter decided. Go big or go home to the cloister in ignominy. He had a theory about Jie now. Or was it a hypothesis? Whatever.

“I can see it,” Dieter said, walking back over to Jie and taking his hand. He laced their fingers together, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin of Jie’s wrist. “Miss Li, all dressed up from a party, coming home to find that her maid has run away with the cook, and there’s nobody to help her undress.”

Jie listened, his lips slightly parted. “Her assistant Dieter will just have to step up and help her. Dieter’s so nervous, not sure what to do, but she insists.” He stepped closer, rubbing his other thumb over Jie’s nipple. “When he helps her off with her dress he sees the secret hidden underneath. Hidden underneath her little lace panties,” he added, somewhat breathlessly, caught up in his own fantasy of Jie wearing nothing but heels and lace and sapphires.

Jie made a small noise, his eyelids heavy. “And then?” he whispered.

“Dieter gets on his knees on the floor to unbuckle her shoes, and right there in front of his face, pressing against the lace—”

“Dieter,” Jie whispered, almost inaudible. His free hand came up, tangled in Dieter’s hair and pulled him into a kiss, and oh, what a kiss. All of the practice in the cloister had been rather clinical, impersonal in comparison, he thought, faintly surprised. Even when things got a bit heated, because of course they did, it had never felt like this.

Jie’s lips were as plush as Dieter had thought they would be, and the taste of his mouth, the scent of his breath; Dieter had never experienced anything like it and he pushed his own free hand into Jie’s hair, pulling him closer. They stayed that way for some time, exchanging long exploratory kisses, and soft, gentle butterfly kisses, and hot eager kisses; holding one another by the hair, their other hands remaining clasped between them.

Lips tingling, Dieter pulled back just a bit, so he could see Jie’s expression. He carded his fingers through Jie’s hair, pulling it forward over his shoulder, unable to resist bringing a handful to his nose to smell. Yes, that enticing scent was definitely in his hair, and Dieter took a deep breath, then smiled up at Jie. “You smell fantastic,” he whispered. “You taste fantastic.”

Jie smiled at him, and Dieter took a deep breath, trying to gather his senses. “Sit down,” he said, gesturing to the settee. “Let me help you take your boots off.” Jie obediently backed up to the settee and sat, letting go of Dieter’s hand.

Dieter knelt, gracefully as he’d been taught, and pulled Jie’s right foot into his lap. He glanced up, making sure he still had Jie’s full attention. “Or…” he drawled slowly, turning to the zipper on the inside of the boot. “Dieter comes back to his very strict boarding school after a break and is summoned to the headmaster’s office. He’s gotten himself in trouble somehow and is meant to have six of the best, but he’s just been punished for something else at home and is still so very bruised and sore.” He glanced up to see Jie biting his lip, glazed eyes on Dieter.

Dieter pulled the boot off, and rubbed Jie’s silk-stockinged foot, surprised that it smelled like leather and that tantalizing cologne and not like generic stinky feet. 

“What does Dieter do?” Jie whispered.

“Ah.” Dieter took Jie’s other foot into his lap, working the zipper on the boot. “Well, he’s desperate to avoid another caning so he begs Headmaster Li to spare him, promises that he’ll do anything, take any other punishment…anything the headmaster wants. Anything.” He pulled off the other boot and rubbed Jie’s foot, breathing in the concentrated, intoxicating scent.

“Dieter.” Jie pushed his fingers into Dieter’s hair and bent forward. Dieter leaned up to meet his lips, luxuriating in another slow, sweet kiss. He pulled away, sitting back on his heels, running his hands along Jie’s thighs down to his knees.

“Or…” He smiled up into Jie’s rapt expression. 

“Or?” Jie prompted, breathless. 

Yes, Dieter silently pleaded. Come along with me, let’s do this. He tilted his head just so, looking up at Jie with his best winsome smile. “Or… Dieter is an elite athlete who has disobeyed his coach’s instructions to stay home and not go on a ski weekend, and he’s injured himself as a result. He can’t tell his coach….”

“Dieter is a bad boy.” 

“A very bad boy,” Dieter agreed. “But his teammate told him about Master Li, who has an unorthodox massage therapy technique that can help Dieter and allow him to hide his injury. He’s been warned that it might be uncomfortable. Embarrassing even. He will have to be nude and part of the treatment includes an…internal massage…and once he’s agreed and the treatment begins he’s not allowed to stop it until Master Li is finished….” 

Jie’s eyes were heavy, and he pressed his palm to the bulge in his jeans. 

“Dieter is lying face down, he can’t see, doesn’t know what Master Li will do next. He’s scared, but he’s excited too. Master Li pushes his legs apart, exposing him….” Dieter looked up at Jie through his lashes. “It…it would enable us to meet our contractual obligation if you wanted to…” Dieter hesitated. “Do you like that Idea?”

“I love that idea. And…”

“And?”

“I love that idea.” Jie smiled, then as Dieter watched, he straightened, slowly combing back his hair with his fingers and knotting it at the base of his neck. His expression changed to something…different. Intense and uncompromising. “Go into the bedroom, remove your clothing and lie face down on the bed. Put a pillow under your groin and make yourself as comfortable as possible.”

Dieter widened his eyes. “Is the treatment going to hurt, Master Li?” he asked, his voice shaky.

“I don’t know,” Jie said, somehow sounding both stern and bored. “Does it matter? You have come to me for assistance. If you want my help you will take what I give you.”

“Yes, Master Li,” Dieter said, eyes submissively lowered and fighting a smile. He got to his feet and hurried to the bedroom, his trousers a little too tight around his excited cock and his chest a little too tight around his hopeful heart.

*

Everard looked askance at the servers dressed in Xing’s usual ‘livery’ of tiny gold bikinis and transparent gold harem pants, draped and studded with gold jewelry from head to toe. They carried trays of champagne and hors d’oeuvres, drifting among guests who wore everything from dinner jackets to…Everard narrowed his eyes at a young blond man wearing leather chaps, cowboy boots and a collar. 

“I’m not sure how Dieter and Jie will take the news of this mixup with the pairings. Never mind Liu Wei,” Harry said, slightly nervous, and seemingly oblivious of the lewdness and debauchery going on around him. 

“Pay it no mind, lambchop.” Everard said with a sigh, plucking two champagne flutes from a passing boy and handing one to Harry. “I’m sure all will be well.” Good Lord, he was starting to sound like Perry.

“If you say so, Ev. At least now I know I’m not crazy and it wasn’t egg brain making me put those pairs together.” Harry sniffed at the contents of the glass. Then his eyes widened as he looked over Everard’s shoulder. “What is going on there?”

“What?” Everard asked, turning to look at a young man gracefully poised in an uncomfortable looking position, his dark, oiled skin gleaming through a net of intricately knotted gold cords. His head was bent so far back that his expression wasn’t visible, but his hard cock jutted proudly in the air, crowned with a heavy gold piercing. More of Xing’s barely dressed boys and girls hovered around him, stroking his shoulders and tweaking his nipples.

“Ev, that man is whipping him!” Harry whispered, horrified. “Down there!”

Indeed, there was a tall, leather-clad man with a gold flogger amongst the acolytes hovering around the spectacle. Harry winced as another blow fell over the boy’s groin and upper thighs, but Everard noted how his hard cock jerked and shone wetly at the tip. 

“It looks like he’s wrapped in a fishing net, and he can’t be comfortable with his arms and legs bent underneath him like that!” Harry continued, his expression a mix of fascination and outrage.

“That is shibari, pumpkin pie.” Everard paused, struck by an image of Harry’s pale, slim body encased in intricate knots of purple silk. He shook himself. “And I believe he is enjoying it. I doubt he would have been chosen for this…demonstration…if he weren’t willing.”

“How can he be enjoying that?” Harry looked aghast.

“Come now, creampuff. I know you are familiar with the concept of BDSM.” 

“Well, of course, Ev!” Everard smiled as Harry’s cheeks reddened. “I’ve just never….” His voice trailed off as the tall Dom dropped the flogger and grasped the boy’s cock, squeezing as jets of come arced into the air and fell down onto his torso. Almost before he’d finished, blades flashed and the boy’s arms and legs had been cut free; the Dom pulled the limp, dazed body into his arms.

“He’s hugging him now? He was just whipping him a minute ago!”

“It’s called aftercare, lambchop. Necessary for a submissive who has just participated in an intense scene.”

“Aftercare.” Harry turned to Everard. “How do you know all this, Ev?”

“Medical School,” Everard lied. Harry blinked. “And a visit to Amsterdam with Alistair,” he reluctantly added.

“Don’t worry, Harry, it’s all consensual.” Dieter joined them, smiling at a pale, redheaded girl as she handed him a glass of champagne from her tray. “Uncle Xing isn’t a sadist. Well, not a sadist like his father was, anyway.” Dieter looked around, then dropped his voice. “Did you know Xing’s father accidentally died indulging in autoerotic asphyxiation?”

“I’d heard something of the sort,” Everard allowed, schooling his features to polite disinterest. “A dangerous game.”

“Well, I heard…” Dieter’s eyes sparkled and Harry leaned toward him, eyes wide. “It might not have been an accident.” Harry gasped and Dieter nodded. “I know, right?! There was a girl in the room who was found unconscious, there was blood everywhere, and in the ensuing chaos both the girl and a beta attendant who was supposed to be getting her medical help disappeared and were never seen or heard from again.” Dieter nodded significantly and sipped his champagne. “He was notoriously cruel to his attendants and the theory is those two decided to take their revenge. Nobody will admit to more than that, but if you ask me, it was more than just the two of them in on it.”

“Wow!” Harry whispered.

The boy was certainly up on the gossip. Everard wondered what other juicy tidbits he’d heard in less than a week in the household, and how he could find out without giving up his bored, indifferent mask.

“Anyway,” Dieter continued. “Everyone you see is here willingly and has both a safeword and a written contract.”

“Including you?” Harry asked in a shocked whisper.

“Oh, not me,” Dieter said with a laugh. “Perhaps I should’ve said anyone you see without any clothes on or in that gold harem getup. This,” he waved his hand, “isn’t really my kink.”

“And what is your kink, lingonberry?” Everard asked, eyebrows raised.

“Ah, that’s for me to know and Jie to find out,” Dieter said with a wink, wagging a finger at Everard. “You have confirmation that the deed was done. You don’t need to know how.”

“It’s all very interesting, though,” Harry said.

“I know!” Dieter smiled indulgently at Harry. “Speaking of kink—and gossip—rumor has it those two are bonded, although nobody has ever seen a mate mark.” Harry blinked at him, and Dieter nodded toward a wide velvet chair where the tall Dom now sat with the submissive on his lap, the boy’s torso still knotted with gold cord. His head lay on the Dom’s shoulder and the Dom was cradling him tenderly.

“Oh!” Harry nodded earnestly, “I wish Darwin were here—”

“We could not bring our whelp to this sort of party!” Everard hissed.

“Oh, no Ev, of course not. It’s just that I could see the bonds better if he were here. But I do see them.” He nodded again at Dieter. “There is definitely a bond.”

“I knew it!” Dieter whispered. “I can’t wait to tell Jie!”

“Tell Jie what?” Everard turned at the vaguely familiar new voice, which belonged to a tall young woman in a slinky black dress and sky-high gold sandals. Her severe black bob swung forward as she leaned to kiss Dieter on the cheek. “Gossiping again, Dee?” 

“Of course!” Dieter grinned and took her hand, raising it to his lips. “Have you met Dr. Everard Drake and Dr. Harrison Lessardi-Drake?”

“I am acquainted with Everard,” she said nodding to him, then held out her hand to shake Harry’s. “How do you do, Dr. Lessardi-Drake?”

Everard was looking for a hint of familiarity, when he noted Harry’s huge eyes. “Is that a bond?” Harry whispered.

“What, truffle?” 

Harry looked between Dieter and the woman, horrified. “It looks like there's a faint…is there a bond between you two?” 

“Well now!” Dieter grinned in delight. 

“But…what about Li Jie?” Harry looked as if he were about to cry. 

Everard took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. First Reynard and that wretched Diamond omega and now this? Dealing with Liu Wei was going to be a nightmare. How on earth had Dieter managed to—

“I don’t think they recognize me, darling.”

Dieter laughed and Everard looked at the woman again, eyes narrowed. Could it be…? He looked at her face, which did look somewhat familiar. And that voice…. “Ah, Jie?” he asked cautiously.

She—Jie—fluttered her—his—lashes and gave them all a sweet smile. 

*

“Oh my gosh, Ev! What a day!” Harry sighed and dropped onto a sofa. “I’m so glad things worked out for Reynard and Misha.” 

“It’s completely upended the experiment.”

Harry shrugged, and cuddled Darwin closer. “Dieter and Jie were well on their way to bonding when we saw them at the party, so that means both couples get to have a happily ever after irrespective of what happens with their fertility.” He bit his lip. “I just hope that things are okay if either Misha or Dieter get pregnant with a dragonet.”

“I don’t think we need to worry about that,” Everard soothed, squeezing Harry’s shoulder and leaning down to chuck Darwin under his chin. He was filled with a warm, fuzzy happiness on Reynard’s behalf, and was convinced all would be well. “By the time another dragonet is born the experiment will have proven their value. Changes in attitude will no doubt follow.”

Cleaver stepped into the room. “Good evening, sirs. This arrived for you.” He handed Everard a box. “It was delivered by messenger from the Gold consulate.”

“Thank you, Cleaver,” Everard said. Cleaver nodded and stepped back out, closing the door behind him.

“What is it, Ev?” Harry asked, leaning forward.

“Unless I miss my guess, it’s something from Uncle Xing,” Everard said slowly, wondering if it would be safe to open in front of Darwin and Steve.

“Oooh, let’s see!” Harry clapped with excitement, Darwin cheeped and Steve flicked his tongue, all watching eagerly as Everard set the box down on the coffee table and lifted off the top. Unease turned to relief; Inside was a harmless stoneware bowl, carved with flowers and a dragon, pale pink at the center and gradually shading to purple edges. One just never knew with Xing.

“Pretty!” Harry said. Everard handed him the bowl and Harry traced his fingertips over the carvings. “I don’t know why they call it a dragon when it looks more like a genetic hybrid of a lizard and a snake.” He tilted his head. “And a dog. And a catfish.” 

Everard opened the envelope and unfolded the heavy cream paper.

_My dear Everard,_

_I hope this gift finds you, Harry, Darwin and Steve all well and happy. I so enjoyed spending time with your lovely family and I greatly anticipate your next visit to Shanghai to check up on your subjects. Do give me enough notice that I can plan a little party for you._

_You will be pleased to know that our dear Dieter is exhibiting a mate mark (it looks like a small bit of lace on the inside of his left wrist), and he and Jie appear to be both compatible and happy. I hope this does not unduly complicate the Amethyst experiment, however if it does, given the successes so far I’ve no doubt I can persuade Wei to name another dragon for an attempted mating with an omega of Harry’s choosing._

_I thought of you and your whelp when I saw the colors on this Song dynasty bowl. I had planned to send you a custom dyed lot of jute rope in a lovely shade of amethyst for you and Harry to play with, but Jie and Dieter assure me that you wouldn’t enjoy it as much as you will this little dish. I’m not certain if it’s because they recognized how conventional you have become in your tastes, or if Jie decided the rope would look better on Dieter and decided to appropriate it._

_I look forward to seeing you all again very soon. Until then, I ever remain your affectionate,_

_Uncle Xing_


End file.
